Clay & Aria Rockwood

Him Belly Full But He Hungry

2011-10-21T17:29:00.008-06:00

Bob Marly couldn't have known the extension of his lyrics would be so applicable to our new baby boy Espen Rockwood. Born September 6th 2011 at 7 lbs. 12 ounces, 20 1/2 inches long, he had already gained an unheard of 2 lbs. by 3 weeks and had nearly doubled in weight by 1 month! It seems like those 41 weeks from the day we found out and Clay drew a stork on my belly to tell my mom coming home from Uruguay, to Labor Day (literally, I went into labor on labor day, how perfect!) was a kaleidoscope of changes in retrospect. Then, after a 30 hour melange of peaceful and traumatizing natural labor, our little perfection was born. We never could have expected all the emotion that accompanied his entrance into our lives and the genuine happiness that his every noise and movement brings. Now, more than 6 weeks later, we are assimilating to a life without as much sleep and as real life parents and are more in love every day! We are so grateful for all the family and friends who surround us during this transition. Espen just started to smile in our direction this week and it is wild how ecstatic we are about it, kind of embarrassing really. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Oh Sweet Mexico

2011-06-24T12:39:00.013-06:00

No better way to spend the first two weeks of summer than in Mexico together and with friends. We spent a relaxing first week in Mazatlan. Our view was phenomenal, 23rd floor, directly overlooking the ocean, two islands and nothing else in sight. The only thing we missed was the muffin man because we were never out early enough. Mazatlan was cool because we were the only white tourists there, all others were Mexican and it felt a little more genuine, although we were still in a resort. We visited quite a few different beaches and rode some huge waves with sting rays in them. It was jellyfish season as well, but we didn't get stung luckily!We then rented a car and drove 7 hours down a long, 2-lane only, "highway" to Puerto Vallarta and met up with Landon and Leila there.

The drive gave a new feel to the Mexico we already know and love with Mango orchards lining the path, Blue Agave plants carefully seamed into Jose Cuervo land, family after family crammed into the back of trucks, bright orange and vibrant yellow fire trees.

We drove 4-5 hours inland to see Jesse, Eric, and Israel in Guadalajara and were surprised by how cool the city was.

They had an antique market set up in the old town and nearby were plazas and beautifully crafted buildings for theatres, cathedrals, etc. Jess and Eric's apartment is in an adorable an upper-class neighborhood with a few parks in walking distance and from their back window you see this quirky blue painted brick wall which complements the art on their walls and in their lives. It was fun to see Izzy getting so big. His bright blue eyes are attentive and searching.

The last week in Puerto Vallarta we went on a sickening but beautiful boat ride to some islands and snorkeled amongst the fish and the reef creatures. We played tennis and daily games of beach volleyball with the other guests at the hotel (all American, kind of embarrassing but totally fun). We went into town a few times but mostly swam and read and soaked up the 30 week pregnant guilt-free laziness fest. We are so excited to be parents and to meet active little Espen.

Many births

2011-02-17T20:39:00.010-07:00

It is true, we

are finally going to be parents!

Though pregnancy is insanely uncomfortable and sickening, we are excited that "God has anointed my womb with his vessel" as Ashley would say! My birthday was fun as well with the first snowboarding/ski trip in over 4 years for me, followed by what may or may not have been experiencing "Never Say Never: Justin Bieber" in 3D; it suffices to say that the day was a hit. We visited my dad's grave for the first time in 21 years the following day, as it is the anniversary of his death, and it felt good to be there with my mom and Clay.

The real hoedown is this weekend when we go contra dancing with so many friends though, you better all be there!Steve (my Godfather) and Raini (bro) are still living it up in Uruguay for a few more months and are capturing the most amazing insectual moments.

Clay's work has just taken off running the past few months, he is making it rain! All of our hard work is paying off and life feels very rewarding and peaceful. Carly had her baby Harper Sunshine last week and she is beautiful. We are excited to travel a few weeks in Mexico this summer before the babe makes its exit and hope to continue the summer travel tradition every year!

From Italy to Greece

2010-07-29T13:53:00.002-06:00

We seem to have an inverse relationship to the temperature here, as it increases our energy decreases. Despite the humidity and constant sweatiness, heavy bags, dirty hostels, we are having some of the most amazing experiences. We are currently in Crete, the largest Greek island and the same island that Clay's family moved to for a year when he was about 5 years old. It is everything I have been missing in our recent travels: Smaller towns, intriguing culture, good food, and a clean, cool hostel. I am trying to learn to read Greek and it is really pretty easy because in math we use most all the Greek letters daily. We visited the Athens National Museum and got lost in all the amazing pottery, statues found 3,000 after they were made in shipwrecks, ancient mummies, etc. Sooooo cool. We ate enough gelatto in Italy to put cows out of business for a month, all flavors, all joy. We are starting to miss you all though and talk about you often.
We visited this remote beach today in a little village in South Crete, and the beaches are pinkish, clean, perfect sand, clear, perfectly blue waters, and you can walk waist-deep to a nearby-island. Venice was more than picturesque. Florence and Sienna paint a beautiful picture of the music, art, architecture and culture of the Italian people (but a little too touristic for my taste!).
Athens was just disgusting. Within 24 hours of arriving we witnessed 2 people get mugged, a fountain that was spraying pure green, thick goo that once was water, and 6 prostitutes work their magic directly below our hostel. Must have been the neighborhood, but ewe.
Clay got a crazy hardcore sunburn and walks like an inexperienced cowboy everywhere we go, it is sad but quite funny. We are doing another hike in the deepest gorge of Europe, found right here in Crete. It is 18 kilometers and the sunburns are still a bit raw so wish us luck. Love

28 and feelin' great

2010-07-16T06:57:00.005-06:00

My birthday was a blast. We spent the day hiking along the Via Del Amore which is a seaside path that connects the five towns of Cinque Terre. Along the way we met a cool couple from Portland, OR and became friends. The hike was gorgeous and made for a nice day. That night we went to a very nice restaurant in Monterosso. I had some yummy pesto pasta and Aria had sea bass ravioli. We then went on a nice walk along the sea. Of course there was Gelatto for dessert as well. It was a great birthday. We are now in Venice Italy which is awe inspiring. We have posted some pictures for your enjoyement.

France to Italy

2010-07-13T12:41:00.005-06:00

We will make this post short for those of you who dont have time to read the novel we last wrote. We arrived in Cinque Terra, Italy yesterday after a 9 hour train ride from southern France. We spent the last 2 weeks visiting various people from Arias mission in the different cities in which she served. We had a blast seeing her old friends and catching up on their lives. They kept complimenting her on her French skills and many said it is even better than when she was there as a missionary. She is so proud. It was hard to leave the comforts of a house all to ourselves to return to the life of sleeping in hostels packed with drunk travelers. We will make do. So today we rented sea kayaks thinking we would have a nice relaxing day on the water. It turned out sea kayaking during a tsunami storm isnt the best idea. A litte exageration but it was very windy and there were huge waves and every few minutes we would pass giant brown and purple jellyfish ready to sting. It didnt help that Aria is afraid of the sea, made for a fist clenching experience but we made it through ok and ended up enjoying ourselves anyways. We are enthralled by the beauty all around us of terraced vinyards and the open sea all around us. We even saw a bus engine explode right in the middle of the town, surprusingly no one was injured yet all were entertained. Aria decided to make some changes in her life and cut her hair off, at least shorter, there is a picture of her new style included. We will try and write more soon. It is my (Clay) birthday tomorrow and we plan on having a great night out at a nice restaurant. I also plan on seeing large amounts of money deposited into my bank account from all who read this.

Weeks 2-3 from Prague to Provence

2010-07-01T02:01:00.005-06:00

This entry may or may not be less involved than we like because we have to write it from clay's Iphone. So really we are just texting you massive amounts of information, we will look at it like that. Where did we leave off...
Prague, czech republic: One of the most phenominal cities we have seen. Hostel 7 euro per person, every building is colorful and antiqued, main town stretches along a wide river, castles on hilltops, ridiculous futuristic versions of walking tours on Segways, our first taste of aloe Vera soda (and not the last, soo good with what can only be described as lemonade with citrus-like pods floating around). We rented peddle boats and saw a totally new view of the city. I had been dying to see a dance performance forever and we finally found aysterious one that the ticket master didn't even know anything about, completely inexpensive, in an orb-like, modern glass building. It was an espece of ballet mixed with Franco-Spanish twists, as they were a group from San Sebastian on the border of France a Spain where I served a small part of my mission. After a few days we took a long train to Munich, which is really named "Munchin" so you can see why we wanted to go there if you know anything about clay and I! We spent only that night there and thus didn't give ourself enough time to be enchanted with it. We had the most delectible schwarmas, walked around in the pouring rain, went to h&m of course, then went back to our 40-bed-per-room hostel and watched the France-Mexico world cup game to see france flail and compromise it's name for the night.
Next morning, day trip to Newfenshtine(?) castle in Fussen Germany. This is king ludowigs alleged castle that inspired Walt's ever-present logo on all Disney movies. I don't understand how they built it because it is on the very peak of a mountaintop and the hike alone to get there was pseudo rigorous. We arrived that night at what would soon become the best part of our journey: the Dubaut's home in Alsace, France. We did so much in 3 short days but let's describe the welcoming nature and hospitality of the Dubauts. Caroline's mom Christine teaches cooking for a living in a junior high school and thus not only loves cooking but has the most gracious talent for it. We made homemade oregami boxes with her for her classes to cook high grade fish and vegetables in with style. She brought some home for us, so delish. I asked her to take us to the general cafeteria just to feel justified in my generalization that the french eat healthy and Americans like pigs. Correction, their chef explained everything he does and how meals are decided and not only did the food look like we were at la caille restaurant but also they must have all their ideas approved by a doctor and the school board before it ever even becomes tangible. Quite amazing! The chef was so proud of his work too, he doesn't have to but he make 2-3 different deserts with fruit sauces drizzled about them like a conductor with a pot of jam for a directing wand. All because he does what he loves. Also, side note, teachers make at least three times my teachers salary at her school. In Switzerland, they are paid doctors salaries. Just saying.
So beside the fresh pain au chocolate for breakfast, the tarte flambee and homemade molten lava cakes, the fresh blueberry pie ok I will stop saying homemade but just assume that all food reffered to in Alsace IS.
Caroline took us to many new alsacian villages where vinyards fill the back and front yards, flowers tumble carefully from pots in each cracked window, and often the whole city is surrounded by tall and ancient walls that were once built for defence and now stand as a witness to their history. Sometimes these walls still have holes in them like the walls in Berlin from the wounds of battle, left intentionally as a memoirs, or so I think. We went to monkey mountain just outside of Colmar where the monkeys just come to you and you can feed them popcorn. We visited the trenches at Le Linge where over 10,000 French soldiers died durind WW1. Many more German and French soldiers died right aroud there too. While we were there the trenches seemed alive still because there was a class of children playing not coyboys and Indians but French soldier German soldier. They even spoke with German accents in French and made machine guns sounds and threw pretend grenades. It got intense as they cunningly snuck over the fenced off section into the Forest where there were signs reading "do not enter, live mines still unfound". Their leaders started screaming to come back over and it was all a game for the kids but now it wasn't only becoming real for us but them too.
La fête de la musique (music festival) went on while we were there, which is essentially where anyone who wants to play music gets their bands together and they find a niche near some boutique and play in the streets all night. There were all sorts of music but interestingly we struggled to find anyone who sang in French. All English. Sarah dubaut gave us her room and we were pampered the whole time. Caro's dad Vincent is also a musician and showed us his talent on the guitar and let us read through his lyrics, amazing play on words. We went on a run along endless grape vinyards and everything was amazing.
Next, we went to Interlaken Switzerland, a small yet well known village in the Swiss alps at the base of the Jung Frou and the Igor mountains. These are probably the next tallest to the Matterhorn? This town is known for it's extreme sports: canyoning, paragliding, bungie jumping, zorbing... We took the cheap route and started on a beautiful hike as soon as we got there. The ascent was steep the entire time and it was about a 6 hour hike but the view was awe-inspiring and well worth the sore legs. We climbed about 3,000 ft in 2 and a half hours. The next day we rented sea kayaks and spent the day between the two clear cold lakes paddling around. Our hostel experiences seemed to be getting worse and worse though. One girl in our room came in, as is custom in all hostels, ridiculously drunk and imagined, I imagine, that the chair near our bed was the toilet, so she sts and starts peeing all over our towel and the chair and it spills to the floor. Disgust. The next night some drunken stranger decided that the garbage right outside our door was the perfect place to perch and threw ups for what seemed like hours. Another night of poor sleep. As you can imagine, we were actually quite releived that as we arrived in Bern, every hostel, bed & breakfast, and nearly even every hotel was booked so we were "forced" to splurge and get our first hotel for the trip. We probably saw less of Bern than we should have because we slept so well and had a tv; we don't even have one at home! Bern rents free bikes, quite a thrill for us since switzerland is oh so very expensive. We went out for raclette, saw the bears, beautiful city. Next was Zurich. This was our first couch surfing experience and is was sublime. 10 X better than our minds had been able to imagine it. Mattias, mark, and Eva were our hosts. We arrived later that night than expected because we took an unexpected trip to Gruyeres, the village where all gruyere cheese comes from, and they stayed up and waitedto welcome us. Mattias gave us his whole bedroom and they not only let us stay with them for free but made us breakfast every day, spent the entire day with us, showing us their favorite places. We helped them with their garden, a free community plot of land they found in the news paper usable until it is built on next year. They are having a biodiversity garden party In two weeks because they plant species of vegetables that aren't used or eaten any more. We weeded and planted and it quenched our desire to be in our own garden. This is too long so I will sum up the rest: how much would you pay for a 3 bedroom house in the south of France with a large, clean swimming pool, a ping pong table, a full wall projector, decidedly built with it's surrounding herb garden into the Forrest, just uphill a minute or two from the sandy beach with crystalc clear water, bikes in the garrage, a car and French wine that we won't drink left just for you in the fridge? Well, thanks to Kathie that is where we are and it is totally free, a house exchange. More to come on the travels back into mougins to see old mission friends..... Miss you all!

Jaquie vam (Thank you in Czech)

2010-06-15T15:15:00.007-06:00

Europe Week 1:

We have covered much ground in a short time. After a long and wonderful flight into London, we spent the day there then flew into Sweden that night. For what a 3 day first impression is worth, we found the Swedes to be a vibrant, healthy, helpful, beautiful people. They only seem to have health food and every one rides their bike. EVERYONE! At the train station in Lund, their 3-level parking lot is for bikes not cars, a real testament to their liveliness. We rented bikes for our whole stay and have been in the habit in most all cities since then, it is so much more fun to get around, you notice more and it makes you feel like you are part of the city. The cobble stones in the streets are so unique and small, they seem alive with history and bear little stress from all the foot traffic they have welcomed since they were so carefully placed in their intent groud-level home. Denmark was less impressive though we only gave it a day. We did find a 6 person foosball table however and played with some people from India. We spent a few nights in Berlin Germany at what can only be described as a dorm factory hostel, the Generator. So strange, but Berlin was wonderful. We again rented bikes and cruised around the history imbued streets and gardens. The walking tour was actually the best part, we learned so much and were able to see it all as we learned about it. We changed our plans at breakfast this morning and decided last minute to go to Czech Republic, Prague and it was the best decision made yet. The train ride alone was worth the extra money alone, more beautiful than the French Vinyards I can remember even. Poppys lined the yellow fields and a wide canalish river is decorated with colorful houses and castles tossed into the green countryside like a fresh bellpepper in an endive salad. We met a man from Ukraine on the train and have been tarveling with him since. He is so humble and fun, and has a genuine perspective on everything. Clay and I are so releived to have time together and in such awestriking backdrops, we hope you can get a small feel for our travels from our blog and can feel our love from afar.

La France

2010-05-05T20:17:00.002-06:00

As we have been awaiting our departure to Europe for the summer, our lives have been serenaded with French joie de vivre as Caroline and her family visited for a few weeks. I was able to spend time with our other frenchies that live here which only heightened my desire to head back to the old cities of France and Europe where the people appreciate good food, where buildings still hold character, where streets are cobblestone and not all cement, where the language changes every few hours in train.... where I don't have to grade a few hours every day! Clay has been working hard studying for the GMAT and making huge progress every day. Our garden is coming together, even though we won't be here to reap: community garden at our house this summer! I finished all my classes and have a little more time to climb with Clay and Raini and spend time with family and friends. Cinco de Mayo tonight, I had better hear some fun stories about endless dance parties!

Memory Grove: Tribute to Ruthie's 90th

2010-03-28T11:32:00.004-06:00

Clay's grandma had the most amazing birthday party a few months ago. All her children came into town and got what seemed like hundreds of her friends together, surrounded by homemade gourmet food, which is always a true festival of tastes. They rented a limo and took her all over the valley to many of her various landmarks of meaning: Sororities, Old book store jobs, Art Museums, even the home she was raised in at the base of memory grove, a good theme for the whole event.....I just changed the title, love it! Ruth is so intelligent, so loving, witty, beautiful, she hasn't lost a thing! I am so lucky to have a wonderful grandparent finally, I never knew my own so I feel extra fortunate. The musical numbers were touching, and when Dan read a part of Byron's book that was about his meeting, falling in love with, and then seeing Ruthie for the first time after war, the room's humidity increased, so touching. We love you Ruth!

First lead climb!!! St. George Gap

2010-03-19T20:35:00.004-06:00

This was my first climbing comp. ever and I got third place! (out of 5 or 7 I think but who's counting?) This was about a year ago, then a couple weekends ago on our way to a lacrosse tournament in Las Vegas I mustered up the courage to do my first lead climb with Clay and my sister Jessica in St. George! I am so proud of myself, enough to write my first blog post ever. I guess since we are on firsts I will drop a few more....Phô. You should eat it, Vietnamese soupish noodle amazing. Clay has redone our bathroom and it is looking amazing...a true handyman-musician-realtor-Elder's Quorum Pres.-climber-husband. Linzi, Jesse, and Alec's wife Randi are all pregnant at the same time and Jon Kidd is marrying the most amazingly beautiful girl around. All good news.

Summer

2009-08-30T22:12:00.007-06:00

This picture pretty much sums up our summer. We bought a triplex in may located near 9th & 9th in salt lake city. We love the neighborhood, the house, the yard and not so much the 3 months we've spent fixing it up. Its a nice old building built in 1892 which means lots of things that need to be done to maintain it. we have put in a huge organic garden, a stone patio, and we decided to live in the worst unit of all 3 and fix it up while we live there. It has been lots of work but now that we are nearing completion it has been well worth the work. I've included a couple pictures of the work in progress. Other than that we havent been doing much this summer but working and trying to stay sane. Aria just started a new position at olympus high shool as a math teacher. She teaches all upper level classes and has already loved being at a high school where the students actually listen when she teaches. We also bought a sweet vespa a couple months ago which has been so fun to get around town on. It gets great gas mileage and makes any errand an adventure.

The part that sucks is the day aria went out to ride it down to get her motorcycle license, it was gone. Someone stole it during the night right in front of our house. That kinda bummed us out and made me want to kill someone but hey, such is life. The cool thing is that the guys who stole it were obviously not the brighest bunch and tried to sell it to a motorcylce shop a couple days later. The guy at the shop knew it was stolen at first glance and called the cops. Good news is we got it back, bad news is they did so much damage they have to practically rebuild the thing. All in all its been a fun summer with many changes in our lives. Hopefully by next summer ill have posted something new on our blog so make sure to check back every 6 months or so.

Swine Snout

2009-05-21T09:07:00.003-06:00

Whilst others are plagued with the Swine Flu, our poor Clay has been diagnosed with the swine snout, a much more serious and enduring case. We will be visiting our local physician soon, keep him in your thoughts. Oink

The World Goes Round

2009-04-25T00:32:00.008-06:00

It just wouldn't be right to start off without a picture of us flying through the air. Here we are with the golden gate bridge in the background. We were up in San Fran a few months ago visiting Arias sister Eliza. We had a grand ole time seeing the sights and relaxing. things have been pretty busy for us around here. We have both been working so much that we pretty much just come home, eat, talk about going to work out(then not ending up doing it 9 times out of 10)and go to bed. Pretty unexciting. Hopefully the pictures draw our attention away from the dull words being written at 12:45 am.
So here is Arias immediate family. Brother: Raini; Sister: Eliza; Mother: Lin. This should be in a magazine.

Is it me or is the creepiest thing you've ever seen? She would kill me if she knew I was putting this up but since she never checks the blog anyway...who cares?
Aria was in a fashion show down at the Gallivan center a few weeks ago. It was for a big concert event that was in town and she modeled off some new snowboard gear/clothing. It was fun to see her in it and she had a good time. Isn't she beautiful?
P.S. A good friend of mine was recently diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow basically. totally came out of nowhere and has been hard for him and his wife being only 26 and recently married. Just spreading the word and telling people about his web site where you can get more info on him and to learn more. Feel free to visit and donate if you can. Thank you. www.brandonplewe.com

A California Thanksgiving

2008-12-03T22:01:00.009-07:00

This year we spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Newport Beach, CA. It was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle and just relax a little. If you can call driving for 11 hours in a van with 3 kids relaxing...just kidding Naava, it was a blast to be able to spend more time with my niece and nephews. We stayed at my dads place down there which is amazing. We even helped him install a new light fixture that looks like a giant version of a normal lamp, pretty sweet. While there we spent a lot of time playing frisbee on the beach, frequent trips to the hot tub and various excursions. Aria and I even watched a boat burning one night, never a dull moment. We had a great time sea kayaking around the bay and balboa island. The entire time dad was just pointing out various sailboats along the way that he one day dreams of having, I hope he does too. We even brought out the laser sailboat one day and dad taught us all the ins and outs of sailing. It was a crash course in sailing, more of a literal crash course for tyler and lochlan as they almost tipped the boat and had to wait out in the bay holding on to a bigger ship while dad rowed out to save them. Ha Ha Ty. It was fun to finally learn and do what dad has told us about for so many years, but never until now taught us how to do it. Aria, lauren and I even went for some nice jogging along the boardwalk. We also took the beach cruisers out for a nice ride along the beach. There is something so relaxing and meditative about being by the sea and watching the waves and seeing the sunsets. Our Thanksgiving dinners all came pre-cooked and in 2 big cardboard boxes...Nothing like take out Thanksgiving dinner. On Friday dad rented a little duffy boat to take us on a cruise around balbao island and the other small islands in the bay. It was fun to see all the cool houses and nice boats around us. Dad had recently tried a new frozen yogurt shop called tuti fruti and was thouroughly convinced it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Needless to say we made a nightly stop there...sometime twice daily. The trip was all in all very nice and a great way to spend the holiday. Cant wait for my next excuse to leave my troubles behind and get away.

Cathing Up

2008-10-28T07:46:00.007-06:00

Its been a while and much has happened. First of all, Aria and I are married. We had a beautiful wedding with many close family and friends present. It could not have been a more perfect day. We then went on a honeymoon to Ireland. It is an amazing country that is so green and beautiful. Ill post some pictures for your enjoyment. Now both aria and I are working full time, she as a junior high math teacher and me as a Real Estate Agent. Life is going well and we are having a blast together. No kids on the way yet but who knows...maybe someday. Next time i'll post some wedding pics. There are just way to many to deal with right now so get exited.

Another one bites the dust

2008-07-10T00:35:00.012-06:00

So I thought it appropriate to update my blog from a 2 month inactive state. Just makes it that much more exciting when I do it. Aria and I sent out our wedding invitations which is a big relief to finally have done. Here are a few select pics from the photo shoot.
We have been busy being jobless and having too much fun. Its hard work. We just got back from a trip to Newport beach which was really fun and now we are getting ready to head up to the oregon coast for the Ramptonville Reunion. Life is treating us well and we are exited to continue living the dream. Much love to all, and to all a good night.

The Graduate

2008-05-06T02:20:00.003-06:00

The road has been long and treacherous, filled with wonder, excitement and treasures of knowledge. Now what do I do? I guess thats the nature of graduating from college. My family was there at my graduation which was nice. We all went out to eat afterwards and it was nice to be with my Mom, Dad and some siblings. Aria made me a card that read "CONGRADUATION!", shes so witty. I am going to start real estate school hopefully this week or when I can get enough money to pay for it. I am currently working with Ty on demolishing his new house to try and get it ready for them to move into. It will be nice once finished and the massive amounts of dust and debris im inhaling everyday will forever stand as a reminder to me of the hard work we put into it. The wedding preparations are coming along nicely, so many people have been helping us and offering to help us in any ways and its so great to see the love people have for both of us, we are truly grateful. Not much else going on. peace and love

Wedding Date update

2008-03-03T00:00:00.003-07:00

Aria and I have decided on an official date for our wedding. It will be held on August 8th 2008. easy to remember, 08/08/08. We're both so happy that we can take this wonderful journey together. she even jumps for joy at the thought of marrying me. Other than that I'm just trying to finish up school and Ill be starting real estate classes when this semester ends and will hopefully start getting into the real estate business soon thereafter. Aria is preparing to take the actuarial exam which would then qualify her to become an actuary. Im guessing 90% of you reading this dont know what that is. If you dont, google it. Other than that life is beautiful. peace

Mawage

2008-02-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

So as some might have heard, Aria Strack and I will be getting married this year sometime(As of now September, but this could change.) I havent made an official proposal with ring and knee and all but plan to soon. We have been talking about it for a while now and the other night we just decided we wanted to just do it. We have known each other since high school and were actually high school sweethearts as cheesy as that sounds. I cant believe its actually happening and my families fears can be put to rest that no, im NOT gay, it just took me a while.(not as long as trent though) So I will try and keep everyone informed and up to date once we decide a final wedding day. Thanks to all for your support and constant nagging at me to settle down and find a wife. Much Love

Thanks for giving

2007-11-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

Due to the recent threats I've received from various family members to update my blog, I'm giving in. This past weekend I spent a wonderful extended weekend down in Virginia at Rich & Micheles house. It was nice to get out of the city for a while and back to the real world. Rich had to pick up Bryan and I on the street corner where the bus dropped us off. The same street corner which is also the center for gay activity in DC. Needless to say, we fit right in. Most of the cousins were there at the house and as usual, baby's galore. It was nice to be with all the family again and to enjoy the holiday together. Thanksgiving day was like an episode of Iron Chef. People rushing frantically around the kitchen, The smell of burning pies coming from the oven, and the usual conversation of breasts and reproductive organs. Right before dinner the power suddenly went out giving us a natural candle lit dinner. Afterwards we all sang Christmas carols together in the living room by candlelight. The perfect ending to a fantastic thanksgiving event. The next morning was black Friday and all I remember is waking up at 2 in the morning, standing in lines for hours on end, eating a shmetzel and wishing I were dead. The next day some of us went on a beautiful hike on part of the Appalachian trail. The view was spectacular and the falling leaves made for a picturesque hike. As always, many of the cousins have been constantly begging me if I would choose them to be my favorite cousin. It's been an ongoing battle for years and is one of the highest honors one can attain in the family. As of yet it is still undecided and depending on the results of this coming Christmas, I will make a final decision. May the best cousin win...

The Gunks

2007-10-30T21:35:00.000-06:00

So last weekend a friend I met at work in the climbing gym and I decided to seize the beautiful weather and go climbing outside. We rentted a car for the day and drove 1 1/2 hours north of New York City to new paltz, NY which is where the best climbing is around here. There are something like 500 climbs you can do there and it is located on a set of cliffs called the gunks. It was absolutley beautiful with the changing color of the leaves and the amazing rock formations. We did a little climbing but I was mostly taking pictures the whole time. After it started raining we found some covered rocks and did a little bouldering and eventually headed out. We had a great dinner at a little bistro in the quaint little town of new paltz which reminded me alot of cape cod. On the drive home we stopped at a pumpkin patch and actually saw the headless horseman stocking up. other than that ive been keeping myself busy with school, work and climbing. thats about all for now.

Labor Day

2007-09-03T17:19:00.001-06:00

So today was labor day and we took a little adventure out to Pennsylvania. We rented a car and drove about 1 1/2 hours out to these cool waterfalls surrounded by lush green forests and beautiful rivers and streams. Despite the fact that us and the rest of the New York population were there, it was nice to get out of the city and back into mother nature. Baby Eliot is as cute as ever and pretty much has this blank look on his face at all times. On our way back we stopped in a little town called Stroudsburg and ate lunch at a nice old irish pub. The food was great but it lacked many drunk men dancing around in kilts. Thats really what I went to see. So I also started my job at the climbing gym this past weekend. I pretty much just show beginners how to tie the proper knots, how to belay correctly and how to tie their shoe laces. Or at least it seems that way sometimes. Life is good, lets keep it that way.

Changes

2007-08-25T17:59:00.000-06:00

its been a while and lots has happened in my life. I just recently moved out to New York to begin a semester of school at Queens college. I am doing an exchange out here for the semester and am really exited to have this opportunity to live in such a fun city. this picture explains how I feel since arriving, lost and confused. I went running in Central Park the second day I was here and soon found myself lost so decided the best solution was to keep running. I eventually ended up running all the way to the bottom of central park which was cool. The part that wasn't cool was the realization that I had to run all the way back. Needless to say it turned out to be a 6 mile run and now I think my foot is broken. Other than that ive just been exploring the city and searching for a job. Ah and bryan have been fun and baby eliot is super cute and fun to play with. We both have the same hairstyles so there was an immediate bond between us. I can tell that he likes me the best out of all the aunts and uncles. Today I went and did some bouldering in central park which surprisingly has lots of good climbs. School starts on monday and supposedly the commute is about 1 to 1 1/2 hours so ill get plenty of studying done on the train. Thats about it folks. Any questions and you can direct them to the wall. until next time.

Birthday

2007-07-18T12:04:00.000-06:00

so last weekend a couple friends and I went down to las vegas to do a little climbing, relaxing and mainly to just get out of salt lake for a while. Saturday we climbed up in red rocks canyon which was fun. Th sandstone makes for a unique climbing surface. later that day we headed up to Mt. Charleston which is at about 8,000 feet and reminds me a lot of brighton. The rock there is a beautiful limestone with tiny little pockets all over. We climbed a 5.11c that was challenging yet fun. that night to celebrate my birthday we went out to the cheescake factory and gorged ourselves like it was our last meal ever. The next day we tried a hard 5.12b route in virgin river gorge that only made me frustrated because the rock was so hot that it felt like you were being slowly simmered as you climbed. All in all it was a fun little trip and a good way to spend a birthday. ive included a couple cool pictures.

up to date

2007-07-09T12:04:00.000-06:00

well things have been going good. This past weekend dad and xia were in town and they stayed up at the cabin for a few days. dad and I stayed up till 2 in the morning one night talking. well, he was talking and I was listening. Still, it was good to really have a heart to heart with dad seeing as he was never really around while I was growing up. bonds were made, tears were shed, and bodies were embreaced...ok not really but it was a good talk. I stayed the night on the 3rd and on the fourth we had breakfast up at the brighton church and watched the sad attempt of a parade. Mostly just people driving by in old cars throwing penny candy. Nothing spells freedom like wax paper wrapped taffy candy that tastes of artificial flavoring, God bless America. I recently purchased the iphone without much thought of whether or not I could afford it. Despite that fact its my new best friend. I encourage all to play with it and see how cool it really is, youll be hooked. so other than that life is pretty normal right now. tylers birthday was yesterday and mine is coming up in a week and I am planning a little climbing trip with some friends to virgin river gorge which Im looking forward to. Ill try and get some more pictures up when I get a chance.

My life as I see it

2007-06-25T00:58:00.000-06:00

Ive just created this blog more for my enjoyment seeing as no one else will find pleasure in reading my scattered thoughts on life. If by chance you do however find yourself reading this, your a brave soul. Right now I am currently in my junior year at the University of Utah. I am majoring in Behavioral Science and Health and until recently was plannig on going to dental school. Due to unexpected events, mainly the giant letter D next to my chemistry class final grade, i have chosen to explore other paths and see where those paths take me. I will soon be starting a semester long exchange in New York City in the fall. I am looking forward to the change of scene and to free room and board at ash and bryans apartment. Other than that my life consists of working as a bellman at Little America Hotel, rock climbing as much as possible and wasting my time away writing this blog. I will try and update this as much as possible when there are lifechanging events or the next time I find myself bored at 2:00 in the morning on a sunday. thank you for your patient reading, talk to you soon.